Fire-proof building



Patented Jan. 6,-1880.,

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD M. BUTZ, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

FIRE-PROOF BUILDING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 223,275, dated January6, 1880.

Application filed October 8, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Allegheny city, county of Allegheny, State ofPennsylvania, have invented or discovered a new `and useful Improvementin Fire-Proof Buildings; and l do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, concise, and exact description thereof, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, inwhich-like letters indicating like parts- Figure 1 is a sectionalperspective View of the Hoor and ceiling of a tire-proofbuildingillustrative of my improvement, and Fig. 2 is a View of thesame, showing on the left-hand side avertical section through the crownof the arch midway between the girders, and 011 the right-hand sideshowing a side view of the tile which incloses the girder.

In constructing the floors and ceilings of large buildings it iscustomary to make use of `metallic beams or girders for support, and tospan or bridge the intermediate spaces with arches of brick-work orsheetmetal work. Such buildings, especially when stored with inflammablematerials, cannot withstand the action of the heat generated by burningtheir contents, as the metallic girders soon become warped and expanded,and the intermediate work is weakened to such extent as to cause thedestruction of the building.

It is comparatively easy to construct fireproof walls; but it has beenfound a very dif- Iicult matter' to render floors, ceilings, &c.,tireproof when constructed of met-al and ma sonry. Yet in many respectsthese are very desirable, if not essential, materials in largebuildings.

The object of my invention is to render such materials, when used foroors and similar purposes, practically lire-proof by so incorporating'them in the structure and covering or shielding them that they will beeft'ectually protected from destruction or injury by heat in case thecontents of the building should be burned.

In the drawings, A A represent metallic I beams or girders, which mayhave the usual end support in the walls of a building. These beams mayvary more or less in form, as may be desired, since the application ofmy invention is not limited to any particular form of girder or beam.The form shown is, however, the

one most commonly7 employed in building.'

rfhese girders I inclose on all sides, both upper and lower iianges, aa., and top and bottom surfaces, with tile P, made of tire-clay or ofsimilar material combining strength with the properties ofnon-conduction of and nondestruction by heat. A shape or form is giventhe inner faces of these tile B the counterpart of the adjacent surfaceof the girder, so that the two may match or lit closely togetheras, forexample, in the forms shown in the drawings, grooves or cuts b are madeacross the inner face of each tile, correspoinling in size and depth tothe upper and lower side iianges, a a, ofthe girder, and the rest ofthis face is so shaped that when thetile are placed upon the oppositesides of the girder, as shown, they shall meet above and below thegirder, as at b, the flanges a shall occupy the grooves b, while theinner faces may or may not bear against the web a. By arranging thesetile along the length ofthe girder, as shown, and luting with fireAclayor other suitable material the joints between tile, the girders will bewhollyinclosed or incased on all sides, top and bottom, both upper andlower flanges. rllhe thickness of this inclosnre will, of course, dependupon the dimensions ofthe tile over those of the girders, which may bevaried, as desired, by the builder.

l also make channels or grooves el along the inner face of the tile,which afford continuous air-passages along either side of the web a'.These passages may communicate, by means of suitable lines in the walls,with the outer air, and they serve a very important purpose in assistingtomaintain the normal temperature of the girders. Thelower edges ofthese tile B are made thicker than thel upper, so as to give their'outer faces, d, a sloping direction, as shown. The tile thus serve notonly to inclose and protect the girders, but also as skew-backs tosupport the work between the girders. This work consists of irevclay orequivalent tile C, having curved or arched back ribs, c. The ends ofthese tile are fitted to rest upon and be supported by the skew-backs orsloping faces d', and when arranged in place side by side the. lowerfaces IOO of C form a practically continuous surface, not only with eachother, but also with the bottom faces of tile B. The surface thus formedmay be roughened for receiving the plaster h. The ceiliii g thus formedwill afford the best possible protection against heat to the work above.

The curve on the upper edges of ribs c is, by preference, the same as,that of the arches E, and they may serve as forms or centers forturning or shaping such arches. These arches may be built of brick orother suitable materials, and they rest upon and are supported by theskew-backs d'. Air-chainbers D are thus formed between E, C, and c,which assist materially in protecting the under side of the arches Eagainst heat, and the better to accomplish this I make passages c', inany desired number, through the ribs c, and thus establishair-coininuiiication between the chambers. These chambers may also openinto iiues iii the walls, which coin? iiiunicate with the open air. Thespaces above the arches E, inline with the top of tile B, are filledwith any suitable concrete F, or its equivalent, having fire-proofqualities or properties suoli that the arches will be protected againstheat from above. A level surface will also be secured for laying a liooror a roof.

If a tile iioor is desired, athin layer of cement is lirst prepared onthe surface of the bed form ed by F and B, and the tile are laid in thiscement in the usual way.' ln casca door ot' boards, H, is desired,strips o, having` by preference a dovetail forni in cross-section, areembeddedin the upper surface of F, so as to be held firmly thereby. Alayer of asliestus sheets, S, or other equivalent sheets having similarfireproof properties, are arranged over the entire surface to be coveredby boards H, and these boards are then laid on the surface thus preparedand securely nailed to the strins r.

In case the contents of the building thus constructed should be burnedthe boards H, and, perhaps, the strips r, would also be burned; butowing to the complete protection of the girders A and arches E, bothabove and below, by means of tile B, tile C, cha-iiibers D, and concreteF, such burning` could not endanger the stability of the girders andarches, and, therefore, ofthe building.

In case a roof is to be prepared on the up- "per surface of F and B, Ilay the asbestus sheets s over such surface, and coat this with anysuitable petrifying material or cement to render it water-proof; or thestrips r, sheets s, and boards II may be employed, and these may becovered with slate, tin, or other material, as desired.

The main purpose of my invention is to protect the girders A and archesE both above and below, and in effecting this object it will be observedthat, while the girders are the main supports, the other members of thestructure have more or less of mutual actionin protecting each other andsecuring their common support. Thus, for example, the tile B cover andprotect the girders A on all sides, top and bottom, and they form theair-passages d for further protection. They, in turn, are supported bythe girders, to or against which they are held by the members C, E, andF. Again, these tile serve as skew-backs for such members. The tile Care supported by B. They form a surface along with B for ceiling. Theyafford tire-proof protection for arches E, along with the air-chambersD, an d their ribs c serve as forms or centers for turning the arches,while these arches support, along` with the skew-backs d', the concretework F, and they, iii/turn, are protected by such concrete. If desired,this concrete work F may be made higher, so as to cover the upper edgesor top of tile B; but I do not consider this necessary, provided thesetile be made sufficiently thick, as in such case they will afford ampleprotection. This thickness will, of course, depend upon the size ofthebuilding and the exposure to heat to which the work may be subjected.

The skilled architect can readily adapt such dimensions to thenecessities of each case.

I ain aware that it is not new to inclose the girders of a building onallr sides with tile, and also to lill the spaces between such inclosedgirders with hollow tile-work of different forms, but without separatesupportingarches of masonry between girders; also, that tile inclosingthe lower part and anges only of the girders have been combined withintermediate supporting-arches, and with hollow tile-work under sucharches, which tile-work was made of short irregular-shaped blocks keyedin position by their form and mutual resistance; but none of theseconstructions embody my invention, as hereinafterclaimed.

In my invention all the parts inclosing and between the girders,including the arches, can be put in place, after the walls of thebuilding are up and the girders are in place, without the necessity ofusing temporary supports that are to be taken down when the work isfinished. This cannot be done in any of the constructions of which Ihave heretofore had knowledge, as eitliertlie tubular girder-tiletherein used must be placed upon the girders before the girders are inplace, which is wholly impracticable, or, on the other hand, temporarysupports must be erected for the work between girders while it is beingarranged, which adds materially to the cost of such structures.

I claim herein as my inventioiil. In a fire-proof construction, thecombination of girders A and fire-clay tile B, the

latter being adapted to iiiclose the girders by arrangement of duplicateparts upon both sides thereof, and having` longitudinal grooves d upontheir inner faces, adapted to form', when the tile are in place,continuous air passages along the web of the girders and in direct con.-tact therewith, substantially asset forth.

2. The combination of girders A, tile B, adapted by arrangement uponboth sides of the girders to wholly inclose them, both up- IOO IIO

IIS

per and lower flanges, arches E, and tile C, the latter being adapted inlength to span the space between the inclosed girders, the Whole beingconstructed, arranged, and sup ported substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of girders A, tile B, arches E, tile G, adapted toforni with tile B a ceiling and protect the girders and arches on theirunder side, and concrete F, adapted to form with tile B a ioor or roofbed, and protect the girders and arches on their upper side,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of skew-back tile B, arches E, and tile G, the twolatter resting upon the skewback, and the tile C having curvedperforated ribs c on their back for turning the curve of the arches andforming` communicating air-chambers D between C and E, substantially asset forth.

5. A rire-clay girder-tile, B, having on its outer face a slopingsurface, d', adapted to form the skew'back of an arch, and on its innerface an airchannel, Land recesses b, the latter being adapted to receiveboth the upper and lower flanges of an I-beam, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth. Y

6. A lire-clay ceiling-tile having an extended surface, C, and archedperforated back rib, c, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 3o my hand.

EDWARD M. BUTZ.

Witnesses.:

G. L. PARKER, R. H. WHITTLESEY.

